Last year I had my family over for the 4th of July. It was our family reunion a few days after the 4th so many of us got together because my hometown does a great parade and fireworks. Here are two crazy cheap things I did to add to the festivites.

I couldn't find any cute paper plates that I liked. (No offense to allose wavy stars and stripes plate designers out there) So I went to the dollar store and got red, white and blue plates. They are kind of flimsy, I know, good for cake & ice cream but not much else. So I put my decorative scissors to work and trimmed the color plates down and glued them to a white plate. Cheap. Sturdy. Festive. And my family only thought I was slightly insane.

This is not a great photo but it's the only one I have. I recommend if you are recreating this to use the white plate as the under plate because sometimes the color plate doesn't cut very well and you have a white edge showing that the white background plate hids. I'm thinking this is cute for showers, birthdays, graduations, etc. This year my dollar store had some cute square red check plates. (happy dance)

I'm sure you have seen these Tissue Puff thing too, Pink. I just love how easy and cheap they are to make. I got the tissue from WalMart. And followed Martha's instuctions. (Click here for them) I cut my ends pointy not rounded so they looked like fireworks. They looked cute under my umbrella.

The rest of my photos from the holiday were of people who look kinda like me stuffing food into their mouths or power napping. Hmmm. Mental note to document other happenings on the 4th this year.

Think::
Just getting on a airplane and thought I would share with you my clever boarding pass idea.
NEVER print your boarding pass on white paper, it is impossible to find
I of course go for pink.
Have a great weekend.
Pink::

"WHAT you joined a CARD GROUP? Where you have to make 12 new cards every month and then exchange them! Then you have to go back next month and do it again, and again! ARE you CRAZy!"

Yes it is true I am CRAZY, but also a little lonely. I thought this would be a great way to step out of my comfort zone and meet some new people.

On Saturday we will have lived in Colorado for one whole year! We love this place and skiied almost every weekend this past winter. We don't miss the humidity on the East coast but do miss the green trees (poor Colorado thinks this place is green, I don't have the heart to tell them they don't know what they are missing) and of course we miss our friends. But all and all we love Colorado and hope it will forever be our home.

So, back to my card group. Every month we have a theme and this month is Black and White. We can make anything with the colors Black and White.

I am the rebel in the group (self proclaimed) and decided to make gift tags. Here is what I made and how I did it.

First thing you must know is I love the Graphics Fairy Blog. Love it, love it, love it. Here is her 2clever shout out!

I used her antique apothecary label. Click here to go directly to it on her site.

I printed four to a sheet on heavy, heavy watercolor paper. (did you know I have two printers. One just to print out that heavy cool paper. )

The other supplies I used were

My Mind's Eye, Lime Twist gray and white twine

Martha Stewart's fine point glue

Recollections Tinsel Glitter (LOVE THIS STUFF!) This can be found at Michael's Craft Store

and a little tool that roughens up the edges of the paper (have no idea what it is called)

I cut out each circle by hand, then roughed up the edges with that razor blade tool (I will have to ask the group what it is called, I am such a rookie)

Added little dots of the glue, sprinkled the tinsel glitter on, punched a hole (with the mini hole punch of course those big hole punches are so not me) and then tied on the darling striped string.

This might be kind of fun to show you what everyone else does and then go back and show you my other themes we have had.

1. Wedding gift card holder

2. masculine card

3. duck theme

4. embossing

Well. on a non crafty note. This is fun to get back together again on 2clever. I have really missed it and now that we are both finally settled after our big moves we finally have the time to get these clever ideas out of our head and share with our very patient eavesdroppers (we love you eavesdroppers)

Hey, speaking of eavesdroppers. What do you think about rewarding everyone on our mailing list with a gift sometime soon? Let's chat.